In existing avionic systems, alternative ‘airways’ (flight plans) are able to be inserted into the flight plan of a flight manager forming part of the (certified) avionics of the aircraft. This insertion may be performed manually, for example by inserting an air-ground data link message originating from air traffic control (or from the airline). The flight plan is then loaded into what is termed a secondary flight plan so as to allow the pilot to verify it, possibly to adjust it, and then to insert it as the new flight reference.
These flight management techniques encounter limitations that are inherent to the avionic systems. For example, the methods for modifying the route of the aircraft are limited by the capabilities afforded by the avionic equipment (e.g. editing functions), and also by the limitations in terms of computing power, of storage and of bandwidth, and even of human-machine interaction (e.g. screens that are not touchscreens).
On account of this, in operational terms, the management of the mission of the aircraft is based on factual elements that are restricted and limited, by design, due to the limitations inherent to the avionic systems.
With regard to the management of avoidance routes (for example for avoiding an unfavourable weather event), various methods for computing a (lateral or vertical) avoidance route are known. For example, patent document FR2749686, entitled ‘Procédé de pilotage d'un aérodyne pour l'évitement vertical d'une zone’ (‘Method for piloting an aerodyne for the vertical avoidance of an area’) discloses a system for lateral avoidance on the basis of information that is supplied periodically. This type of approach exhibits limitations, however. Specifically, existing methods are generally based on relatively simple processing operations that are intended to be integrated into the avionics. As an alternative, complex computations may be performed, but the result of these computations is not able to be inserted directly or easily into the avionics (loading into the avionics requires either an entry by the pilot, or at the least verification by the pilot, for which the viewing means embedded in the avionics are unsuitable). The technical problem of integrating avionic systems with non-avionic systems remains.
There is a need for advanced methods and systems for managing alternative routes for an aircraft.